Wolves, Vamps, and Wild Little Girls, Oh My
by ImTheHurricane
Summary: OC FIC, AUVERSE FROM ECLIPSE FORWARD, IMPRINT FIC. Aria Swan is the younger sister of Bella Swan. She's sort of sat back and watched the events unfold in Twilight and New Moon but she's kept her tongue about it all.. Until now.. See, she can't now because she's smack in the middle of the bs that's happening in her sister's life because she's an imprint. How will this go?
1. Date Night

++ DISCLAIMERS FIRST GUYS: Okay, so I don't own Twilight. If I did, Bella wouldn't have been turned in Breaking Dawn because I never felt that was good decision making on the part of the Cullens. Anyway, I don't own the series or the canon events loosely mentioned and changed in this fanfiction. I only own my original character Aria, who is Bella's younger sister and the things she gets thrown into during the course of the fanfiction.

DISCLAIMER BEING OUT OF THE WAY.. **_THOUGHT OF HAVING JACOB PAIRED WITH ARIA BUT I ALSO THINK PAUL'S PRETTY WICKED. SO YES, I'M NOT SURE WHICH WOLF WILL ACTUALLY IMPRINT ON HER BUT ONE OR THE OTHER WILL. IF YOU LIKE, YOU CAN THROW A NAME AT ME. DON'T BE SHY._** AND YES, I AM AWARE THAT SISTERFICS ARE OVERDONE, THAT OCS ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS AND YADA YADA. I'VE ACTUALLY READ QUITE A FEW BRILLIANTLY DONE ONES THOUGH.. HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS WILL GIVE MINE A CHANCE?

So, here it goes.. A twilight fanfiction written by a lukewarm (at best) fan.. This should be interesting, right? BTW.. this will be shapeshifter centric. And by the end of it, yes, sister bashing sister will most likely occur but mostly because I personally did not like Bella Swan. G'head, throw pitchforks and stuff. ++

CHAPTER ONE

I finished brushing out my hair and my eyes caught my older sisters eyes in the mirror. I raised a brow and Bella walked in, flopped down onto my bed. "Just come in and sit." I muttered dryly as I slicked on lipgloss, I was getting ready to go out to a movie with Mike, this older boy at Forks High.

"Has Jacob been acting weird to you lately?"

I thought her question over and had the passing thought _'If by weird you mean not stuck up your ass then yes.. To you, I suppose he has. To me? No weirder than normal, I mean given his fascination with saving you taken into consideration. Maybe, Bells, he just gave up.'_ but wisely, I kept it quiet and chose to answer, "You mean weirder than the norm?"

"Yeah.. Like he's not coming around as much."

"Maybe he really is sick, Bella. I mean Billy told you he was sick. Just because he's not coming or answering your calls and stuff.. It doesn't mean he hates you." I tried to reassure her, though I didn't believe a word that came from my own mouth even as the words came.

My sister is weak. She needs to hear things like that. I've never really understood why she seems to focus solely on other people for her own bliss, but hey, that's just how she is. And obvious problems with certain aspects of her character aside, she's my sister. I have to love her and part of that apparently is building her self esteem up.

Not that she'd do it for me if I needed it.. But then again, I don't take things the way she seems to. If a guy doesn't call, it's no skin off my nose. I just go to my little black book and move on to plan B.. Or I stay in and do homework.

Either way, you're not going to find me coiled in the fetal position on the forest floor because some douchebag breaks up with me and leaves town.

Then again.. I have been accused of being a cold hearted bitch because I handle things the way I handle them.. Quite a few times, actually.

"So.. You're going out with Mike again tonight?" Bella asked.

I stiffened. I sensed either a lecture or a self imposed invite coming and I wanted no part of either thing to be quite honest. I finished brushing out my hair and then looked up at her again and nodded as I said casually, mostly in joking, "If you wanna take my place.."

"Mike Newton? No thanks. I think I'll stay in, finish reading." Bella muttered. She looked at me, hopeful for a few moments. I bit my lower lip, pretended I didn't see the begging in her eyes. I felt like the worst sister in the world as I did so but I've literally tried everything I know to make her come out of this comatose hermit unless Jacob Black is involved frame of mine she's in, but nothing's worked.

Now she wants to start going on my dates.. With me? I think not.

"Your loss." I muttered finally, avoiding her gaze. I saw the disappointment in her eyes because I hadn't asked and I was not about to fall smack into another guilt trap. My sister is nothing if not manipulative. She's damn good at getting everything she wants. And lately? I've sort of realized that maybe that's her whole problem. She's so used to it she doesn't think she's supposed to have to deal with the normal ups and downs of life or with hearing the word no for that matter..

I broached the subject with Charlie earlier and he pretty much said he felt the same way, then admitted that yes, he probably should have been more involved when she first started seeing Cullen, the previously mentioned douchebag.

He also said that maybe she just wants to spend time with me.

I'd love to spend time with her.. If she were the Bella who used to actually give a damn about people other than herself. But she's not and she's forgotten how to be so until she remembers? Not gonna happen.

She's used up all the sympathy I did feel for her.

Now it's just tedious to deal with, really and seeing her like this, yeah, I'm not heartless like everyone seems to think so it does kill me.. But I also see what the things that she does when she's not like she is right now, when she's happy and things are going exactly the way she wants them, i've seen how that affects people around her.

A horn blew from outside and seconds later, my father called up the stairs, "Aria! Mike's here!"

"Don't wait up for me, Bells." I joked, giving my brows a suggestive wiggle as I slid my feet into a pair of heels and ran down the stairs, out the door.

"Ready to go?" Mike asked as he smiled and slid his arm around me.

"Duh." I said as I smiled, let him lead me to his Jeep, open the passenger door so I could get in.

I glanced up and Bella was standing in her bedroom, watching me.

Like I said, it's her loss.. If she weren't the way she was, **maybe** Jacob wouldn't have stopped coming around.. **Maybe** her friends wouldn't all be calling her crazy right now. **Maybe** I'd want to stay home and try to help her through all this one more time.

But, she's **not** the same girl she used to be. She **doesn't want to be helped**.

There's **nothing** anyone can do to save someone who doesn't want saving. And maybe Jacob finally realized that. I know I did, it took me nowhere near as long as it took poor Jacob, though.

I think I realized it when I overheard her telling Edward she only wanted or needed him and something else I couldn't quite make out because it was muffled, the kicker of it was that he was gone then, he'd left town.. I mean she's 17 for God's sake.. She's got no business even pretending to know what she wants or needs at that age. I'm 16 and I'll be the first to tell you that I can't decide what I want from one second to the next. And the fact that she's so delusional that she 'talks to him' while she's hidden out in her bedroom? Creepy. Whatever voodoo or mind control Edward's done, I have to say.. he's done a bang up job in fucking her mind.

Mike pulled into the driveway of the vacant house beside my father's to turn around and out of the corner of my eye, I saw it standing there in the bushes, tall and magnificent, it's fur coat sort of gleaming in the last rays of sunlight.

It watched me and I watched it for a few moments, my teeth grazed my lower lip.

Mike said something to me and I was distracted. When I looked back to where the wolf had been standing seconds before, the wolf was gone.

I put it out of my head, I mean we do live near a forest and yes, on occasion, wolves will be seen in city limits.. I had no idea that what I'd just seen was sort of this precursor for events that lie ahead shortly.. And that I was about to be dragged kicking and screaming into the madness my big sister calls her daily life, whether I wanted it or not.

I didn't, if you're curious.

Okay, so maybe in retrospect, I got something out of all this.. Or someone, rather.. But it still doesn't mean I asked to be dragged into all the crap that unfolded almost two days after this failed attempt of a date with Mike Newton.


	2. Paul

++ AUTHORS NOTES FIRST, GUYS: FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO THANK E VERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO FAVORITE AND FOLLOW MY STORY AND ESPECIALLY THE ONES KIND ENOUGH TO REVIEW AND ENCOURAGE ME ALONG. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WAS SCARED TO DEATH, I MEAN I'M ONLY A PARTIAL TWILIGHT FAN AT BEST.. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PRECIOUS ADORABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAVORITED AND FOLLOWED AND REVIEWED. I'VE HAD A SORT OF SPLIT IN SUGGESTIONS FOR PAIRING/IMPRINTER AND TO HONOR THAT, I THREW BOTH OF THEM INTO THIS CHAPTER.. BUT PAUL IS THE MORE PROMINENT ONE IN THIS CHAPTER. DON'T WORRY, JACOB WILL HAVE HIS TURN TOO. I'M STILL TORN BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM. JACOB IS IN THE CHAPTER TOO BUT HE'S IN IT MORE SUBTLY. LIKE WITH STARING AND LOOKS AND STUFF. JUST TO MAKE THINGS INTERESTING. :) ++

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

Almost as soon as my feet hit the sand, my clothes were coming off. I hit the water with a loud splash that was followed closely by a shriek when I realized that yes, the water was like ice today. Shivering and pouting a little, I swam my way back to the shore and flopped down onto the sand lazily next to my friend Gemma.

"I told you, Ari, it wasn't going to be warm enough to swim in." Gemma remarked in a bored tone after she stopped reading her magazine. She stretched and then said with a wicked gleam in her eye, "Wanna take a quiz?"

"Not particularly, no. Those things are never accurate." I answered as I slid the straw into a Capri Sun and sipped slowly, looked up at the clouds while shielding my eyes from the sun with one hand. A soccer ball rolled to a lazy stop near my bare feet and I looked at the ball and then the person who'd kicked the ball in my direction.

"Sorry." the guy smiled, the smile was more a smirk than a smile. I shrugged and then said "It's not like you hit my head with it." as I sipped my Capri Sun and held his gaze a few moments. He sort of looks familiar, I'm almost certain I've seen the guy before.

I happened to look down the beach and I saw Jacob with three other guys, at least one of them was Embry Call, I've met him before. They were watching the guy who'd smirked at me as if he were committing some kind of deadly sin.

Maybe, about this one thing, the thing with Uley having a cult.. Maybe Bella's dead on about that much. It shocked me though, I mean Bella and I both heard Jacob's thoughts on the way Embry ditched him not too long ago to start following around Uley. Why the hell would he start too?

I bit my lower lip as I thought it over and then I realized that yes, there was definitely something shady at play.. Because not even five minutes before I'd come to First Beach with Gemma and two other girls and Mike, Bella told me that Jacob did answer a text and it was to blow her off yet again.. He said he was sick.

I stared Jacob down over the rim of my favorite sunglasses.. He looked like a lot of things but sick.. it wasn't exactly the first one that came to my mind at that particular point in time. He's grown at least three inches in a month.. And he's gotten muscular.. He cut off his long jet black hair that I used to dream about tangling my fingers in too, I noticed.

Our eyes met and he diverted his gaze. I did notice that he was glaring at the guy who'd kicked a soccer ball over onto my beach towel. And when I looked up, I noticed that the guy who'd kicked the ball and come to get it was looking at me. I held out his ball and raked my hands through my hair, my teeth grazing my lower lip a few moments. "Aria..And your name is?" I asked finally, just so I could take my mind off of just how supremely weird this entire incident was turning out to be. He blinked and then coughed, his large and rough looking hand trailed slowly over short and close cropped hair as he said with a casual smirk, "Yeah.. I've seen you around, I kinda knew that. Paul.. My name's Paul."

"Well, Paul.. It was cool to meet you but I think that Uley's about to give that leash he's got you on a huge yank. Might wanna go check on that." I quipped, giving him a playful smile. He sort of grumbled, I shrugged and watched him walk away covertly, shaking my head as I laughed a little.

If I hadn't looked back up I wouldn't have seen Jacob standing there just sort of staring at me. Not in a creepy way but just.. Sort of staring.. Like he was really seeing me and not just looking at me. I felt my skin heating up, I'd never felt more naked than I did right now under Jacob's gaze - _and Paul's, definitely Paul's gaze, it was kind of like this too I found myself thinking-_ and all things considered yes, it was a little awkward.

I'm not ashamed of my body, do not go assuming I am.. I've just known Jacob my entire life and somehow in that time frame he has not seen me in a bikini? Yeah, I'm totally going with that excuse. And the way that Paul looked at me.. I dug my toes in the sand and Gemma laughed.

"What?"

"You, Ari. That whole thing just now." Gemma said as she shook her head and then explained, "My cousin goes to school with that guy Paul. She said he's a ladies man and he's always getting into trouble for fights.. Until recently, he's all about some Sam Uley guy lately. Suffice to say he's probably trouble. And we all know how much you love trouble." as she smiled at me.

"Haha, you're not funny, burn in hades." I grumbled and went to speak up, defend myself.. Then I realized that while Bella might be into dating douchebags that have the tendency to get her and me nearly killed and abandon her to go to some pissant little town in Italy for some weird reason, I have the habit apparently of dating bums.

There was Benjamin, last year.. Real nice guy until you get a few drinks in him and then he thinks he's fucking Zeus or something.. Or Sawyer, the guy who thought it was cool that I wasn't going to give it up, that I had standards or , he thought he'd get me to cave only to discover that I was one hundred percent deadly serious about not screwing him. And when he found out that no he was **not** getting in these panties and he wasn't going to uncover Victoria's Secret until I was ready for it to happen (probably never in his case) he bailed. But only **after** he told the entire school we did it because god forbid I tell him no and wound his fragile ego..

And that all leads me to Lucky.. Lucky was probably the worst one of them. It's safe to say Charlie was thrilled when I let him answer the door after he showed up a third time to get in my face about dumping him.

I sat there for a few moments just thinking about all my mistakes and I burst into laughter.

Gemma sat there looking at me like I'd lost it, her brow raised the entire time. "Something funny, Ari?"

"Only me. I sit here and say that my sister's the messed up one.." I said but Gemma butted in and said calmly, "And she is.. But your point?"

"Look at the guys I've dated since I moved here, Gemma. I mean Mike is probably the first decent one and even he can be a horndog sometimes. I mean one thing I can say about Sir Douchebag is that he wasn't some skeezing pervert. He's been decent to my sister despite her being, ya know.. Her." I finished, going silent for a few moments. I ultimately shrugged it off and then stretched as I said with a smile, "I do not feel like having life changing epiphanies today. Let's go to the boardwalk and get a slushie or something, damn."

Gemma stood and brushed the sand off herself and I sprang up from the sand and tied the beach towel I'd been lying on around my waist so that it sort of served as a coverup because I noticed that Sam Uley

and his minions, which now apparently included my almost lifelong best guy friend Jacob, were still lingering up the beach near the boardwalk, hovered around a bonfire, from where I stood it almost looked like they were conspiring or something.

As we walked past, I could've sworn I heard a whistle and felt this intense sensation that I was being watched as I walked by, but I didn't look over to see.

Parts of me, the antagonistic ones I mean, they were anxious to get back to Charlie's and tell Bella what her precious backup boy was really up to today.. But parts of me, the parts that cared a little too much for Jacob Black.. They were worried about Jacob.

And I just got this feeling.. If I told Bella I'd seen him today, that he'd been with Sam Uley and his 'followers', well.. She'd do something crazy and desperate.

Hell, I can't lie.. I saw the fearful look in Jacob's eyes when he was talking about Embry and how he'd abandoned him not so long ago and **I** had thoughts about going over and doing something desperate and crazy.

Because he's my friend, damn it and I care.


	3. Wolf Whisperer

++ AUTHORS NOTES FIRST, GUYS: FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO FAVORITE AND FOLLOW MY STORY AND ESPECIALLY THE ONES KIND ENOUGH TO REVIEW AND ENCOURAGE ME ALONG. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WAS SCARED TO DEATH, I MEAN I'M ONLY A PARTIAL TWILIGHT FAN AT BEST.. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PRECIOUS ADORABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAVORITED AND FOLLOWED AND REVIEWED. THE WOLF SHE KEEPS SEEING MAKES AN APPEARANCE IN THIS CHAPTER. :) ++

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

I think I had probably just gotten into bed and comfortable when I heard the door to my bedroom squeak open quietly. In the darkness, I scowled and tried to make a last ditch effort to shove my head beneath the pillow. My bed dipped down low and I sat up partially, clutching the sheet closed around me as I raked my hand through my hair and squinted a moment, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.

And of course, I was right. Bella was the one who'd come into my room. For a few minutes she sat there quietly, staring at her hands. When she finally did speak it was to say quietly, " I'm going to go to La Push tomorrow."

I groaned and shook my head then hissed, " Go back to sleep, Bella. If you ever went to sleep in the first place. It's the middle of the night and the last thing I want to do is sit here and listen to you being upset because Jacob's not coming around anymore. Look, I miss him too. But maybe he's really busy. Or he really isn't feeling well."

 _'Liar, liar, pants on fire.'_ I thought to myself as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I felt really bad for being so cold about it all, but for Bella to see as usual that this was all about how she felt, well.. It sort of pissed me off to be honest. She sighed and then asked, "If he's busy, Ari, how come Jessica Stanley said she saw him up on the cliffs with Sam and Embry and two other guys that follow Sam around all the time?"

 _'Damn you Jessica and your giant sized mouth. I swear to God I am going to tape it shut or something.'_ I thought to myself as I shrugged. I thought that maybe she'd just leave it alone and go back to her room and do her creepy 'talking to a guy that's not even here anymore' bit but she kept sitting there. It was quite obvious that no, I wasn't getting any sleep so I reached over and turned on my lamp then said quietly, "Maybe, Bella, Jessica was lying. Or maybe she thought she saw Jacob but it wasn't him.." trying desperately not to blurt out the fact that I'd seen Jacob myself earlier and yes, he was with Sam Uley and the guys who follow Sam around like he's some kind of demi god or something.

"She has no real reason to lie about this, Ari. And I'm pretty sure she knows Jacob from the others."

"Not really?" I tried one more time as I sat there biting my lower lip, debating on my options. On the one hand, I felt bad trying to hide this from her. On the other hand I knew that if I didn't she'd only go over there and make a bad situation, she'd make it so that Jacob might not ever come around again.

And no, I wasn't particularly thrilled with that prospect. I mean we'd gotten to the point that we barely spoke and I avoided him quite often, but he's still my friend, he's still this guy that I sort of fell for and damn it, I don't want him to be gone from my life entirely. But knowing my sister like I do, she'll go over there making passive yet selfish demands and if Jacob really is sick of her crap?

That'll be the final straw.

A wolf howl echoed up from the woods outside my bedroom window and I shivered a little. For some strange reason, that wolf howl sent this jolt of electricity down my spine and through my body. I slid out of bed, sheet still around me and I shut the window quickly.

As I did so, I caught a glimpse of it yet again. I hadn't seen the wolf in almost two days, but there it stood, down in our yard, looking up.. At my window. It's head tilted upward and I'm pretty sure it howled again.

I turned around and looked at my sister then said quietly, "Bella, I'm telling you. I'm pretty sure that Jacob's just not feeling well."

"Maybe we should go over and visit him then. He was there for me.." Bella trailed off. I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking. Her with her fake 'noble intentions'. She didn't give a shit what was wrong with Jacob because if she did she never would have put him through everything she has since we moved back here with Dad and she started this thing with Sir Douchebag, Edward.

"Can we please talk about this in the morning when I've had more sleep?"

"I just wanted to tell you.. I'm going to La Push. I wish you'd come with me. I.. I really don't have anyone now." Bella pointed out, she shuffled her feet awkwardly.

I groaned inwardly and thought _'You could have friends Bella, maybe if you didn't act like such a snob lately. Jessica was your friend. Jacob was your f riend. Look how those two wound up just because they dared to tell you that you were being an idiot. And now I have to try and figure out enough creative ways to dance around what I really want to say to you so bad I can taste it.'_ but of course, instead of telling her this, I kept my mouth shut once again. Just like every single other time she does crap I don't agree with. I bet you're wondering why I do it, right?

Our father's got enough on his hands right now to worry about the two of us killing one another while he's working.

Because I know if I do dare to tell her what I think then she's only going to get upset and then we'll fight and things will snowball until finally I just totally snap and the end result is my sister and I hating each other. I can barely tolerate her the way she is now.

But I don't want to hate her, she's my big sister.

"Good night, Ari."

"Night, Bells. I'm going to bed now." I said impatiently as I flopped back into bed and just lie there a few minutes. When I stood up to cut off the light again and actually go back to sleep, I saw the wolf still standing there on the ground.

For some weird reason I got this urge to sneak down and outside, just to see it up close. Before I realized what the actual hell I was doing, I'd gotten up, slid on a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top and I crept down the stairs, easing the door shut as soon as I made sure I had a key to get back in. I walked around to the side of the house, my dad's Mag Lite in hand. I turned it on about halfway around the house and as soon as I aimed the light in the direction I'd seen the wolf standing, I gasped.

It was bigger than I thought. Almost twice my size.

Definitely not normally sized. My brain cried out _'Abort mission! I repeat, abort mission!'_ but still I walked closer and closer, slowly.

I held the wolf's gaze, it watched me intently, almost looking as if it were amused, there was this playful light to the wolf's eyes that almost made them seem human and not animal. My index finger raised to my lip and I chewed my fingertip as I mulled this entire thing over. It was weird almost, it was like the wolf was just standing there **watching** me.

Four more howls echoed through the quiet stillness of the night and the wolf looked at me a few more seconds as it raised its' head and howled back, almost as if it were answering the howls I just heard. Then it dropped its head and looked dead at me for a few more seconds. I made my way closer and finally I stood in front of it, my hand out, awkwardly, I mean I was kind of wondering if I'd be getting my hand eaten or something if I touched it.

I got this clear sense that the wolf was not there to hurt me. I'm not sure where it came from or why I felt it so strongly, I just know I did. That's what made me step a little closer.

It's thick fur brushed against my body and my teeth grazed my lower lip. I squeezed my eyes shut and tentatively, I reached and raked my hand slowly through it's fur, almost as if I were petting a rather large and maybe a little scary looking yet friendly dog.

It tore off through the forest after that, running so fast that it literally looked like a furry moving blur. I stood there a few seconds trying to process what the hell had just happened.

"That wasn't weird, not even a little." I muttered as I turned and walked back into the house. I jogged up the stairs and hurriedly got into bed.

For some reason I kept thinking about the wolfs eyes.. How they didn't look quite as animal as they maybe should have.

Or it's size. I mean this was not some little wolf. This was a wolf that I'm quite sure could qualify as an example of steroid use or something.

The next thing I knew, my alarm was going crazy and it was time to get up and go to school. And I'd barely gotten any sleep at all the night before, between Bella and the wolf I'd seen.


	4. Confronting Jake

++ AUTHORS NOTES FIRST, GUYS: FIRST OF ALL I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO FAVORITE AND FOLLOW MY STORY AND ESPECIALLY THE ONES KIND ENOUGH TO REVIEW AND ENCOURAGE ME ALONG. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WAS SCARED TO DEATH, I MEAN I'M ONLY A PARTIAL TWILIGHT FAN AT BEST.. I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU PRECIOUS ADORABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAVORITED AND FOLLOWED AND REVIEWED.

AND IN THIS CHAPTER, SOME JACOB.. BUT IT'S SORT OF ARIA REALIZING THAT SHE MISSED BEING HIS FRIEND TOO AND SHE GETS A LITTLE ANGRY. SORT OF DEMONSTRATES THAT YES, SHE IS A LITTLE FIREBALL. I SPLIT THE WHOLE CONFRONTATION DRAMA IN TWO PARTS.. ONE PART IS BELLA JUST CONFRONTING JACOB AND THEN A FEW DAYS LATER, SHE'LL CONFRONT SAM AND THE GUYS. AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS THEN. I WANTED TO DRAG OUT EVENTS A LITTLE, HAHA.. GIVE ARIA MORE CHANCES TO HAVE RUN INS WITH BOTH JACOB AND PAUL TO MAKE THINGS INTERESTING. PAIRING SUGGESTIONS STILL BEING TAKEN AND AS USUAL, IT'S SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW, JACOB AND PAUL ARE LITERALLY NECK AND NECK. SO IT COULD BE EITHER GUY THAT'S IMPRINTED ARIA.:) ++

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

The final bell rang and I made my way as quickly as possible down the hallway and out of Forks High. I heard Bella calling my name and for a second, I started to stop and turn around. Instead, I caught up to Mike who slid his arm around me and then said "Your sister is incoming."

"I know, let's just hurry and get the hell out of here, please? I know what she's about to rope me into and frankly, she's got no business even doing it."

"Let me guess.. The thing you were telling me, how she's worried about why Jacob's not constantly up her ass. Am I even a little close?" Mike asked, shaking his head as he added, "I don't know what that guy Cullen did to her but whatever he did, he did a really good job of messing with her head."

"I know, right?"

Jessica caught up to us both, glaring at me. I tried to at least give her a halfway friendly smirk, but yeah, she kinda hates me because Mike and I are talking, we go out a lot. It bugs me that Jessica hates me but there's not really anything I can do about it because hey, she had her chance to try and get him back after he crashed and burned a time too many with my older sister.

She chose instead to try and date a college guy from Port Angeles University.

"Bella's looking for you." Jessica blurted, a stiff and jealous tone to her voice that I didn't miss. I looked at her and then deadpanned dryly, "I know this, Jessica. And I know exactly why she's calling me. And I'm not gonna help her look even more crazy and pathetic than she does right now, I mean I love her too much to do that to her."

"At least someone does." Jessica grumbled, glaring at my sister as Bella rushed over. "I need to talk to you, Ari."

"I'm going with Mike, Bella. I know what you're going to ask me to do and frankly, it's a shitty idea." I told my sister as patiently as I could. Jessica eyed Bella and attempted a hello.

Bella, of course, looked at her as if she were dirt on her shoe or something. But hey, I've come to realize that if it's not that Volvo driving douchenozzle she's so crazy about, everybody's lower form of life than she is.

Especially when they have the nerve to get angry with her for being so damned stupid and unreasonable and childish and plain crazy.

"She said hi, Bella."

"I heard her, Ari. C'mon."

"I said I wasn't going. Which part of NO is hardest for you to understand, the N or the O or the way they sound when put together to form a word?" I grumbled.

She looked hurt.

I sighed quietly and then said "Let me talk to her really quick and I swear I'll be right there, Mike."

"Okay, I'll wait in the Jeep." Mike said as he and Jessica made off as quickly as possible. Bella glared at Jessica's retreating back and I said calmly, " Look.. I told you last night that going to La Push maybe isn't the best idea for you."

"You have people to talk to, people that like you. Edward's gone, it's not fair."

I tugged at my hair, gave her an annoyed look and then said after a few moments, "I tried to include you in things, ya know.. Every single time I went out with Gem and the girls. You were too good to be bothered, you'd rather sit alone in your room in the dark. So for you to even stand there and throw that up at me when all this is your own fault, Bella.. God, do you even know how stupid you sound?"

"It's true."

I could tell she honestly believed it too, because her face was stoic, almost solemn. She hardly ever changes facial expressions these days. I don't even really know why I bother to try and dance around just how immature everything she's doing lately is.

"True it may be, Bells.. But you did create the situation.. And then when you did have friends, none of us were good enough. We were all lower forms of life than you and your precious Cullens."

"You don't mean that."

"Oh, yes.. yes Bella, I actually do." I blurted out before I could stop myself.

She gaped a moment and then said quietly, "Just go with me to do this.. I swear I'll start being me again. I didn't realize.." as she shuffled her feet, bit her lower lip and gave me the guilt inducing looks she's so good at.

I grunted and naturally, I said through gritted teeth, "Fine.. But if Jacob's done, he's done. You have to leave the guy alone. Understood?"

"We'll see."

"Damn it, Bella, if you're not going to pretend to be normal even a second, I'm not doing this." I snapped, stopping, looking at her as I tugged my hair a little, I was beyond irritated by her right now. She'd just promised she'd try to be herself again and it's not even five seconds later and she's already going right back to the way she is right now.

"I will. I just think that maybe there's more to this than we know. And Jessica did say she saw him with Sam Uley and those others."

"So what? That's not your problem, okay?" I snapped again. I flinched when I saw her wince a moment as if I'd hit her and then said in a quieter tone, "Sorry... It's just.. You're really starting to scare me, Bells, with all this crap."

"What crap?"

"Let's just say that Angela filled me in on why Jessica really won't go with you anywhere anymore. She's worried about you too. Those guys were fucking bikers, Bella. They could have raped you or grabbed you or killed you or all of the above. Or do you just not care anymore? And then there's the motorcycle thing you and Jacob had.."

She paled and looked at me. I gave her a shrug and then said "I'm not stupid, okay? I saw you and Jacob with the bikes in your truck."

"How?"

"Gemma and I were visiting her cousin Elaine. I happened to see the truck go by with motorcycles in the back. Doesn't take a genius to figure out who put that idea in Jacobs head."

She stood there, mouth opening and closing a few times before her lips set in a firm and angry line. I looked at my watch and then said "You have half an hour, Bella. And then I want to be brought back and dropped off at the arcade."

"Okay, so let's go."

Even as I said I'd go I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.. Like maybe this wasn't the best idea she ever had?

I explained the situation to Mike and he looked annoyed. I sighed as I walked back towards Bella's truck and got into the passenger seat, reluctantly. "You have half an hour, Bella. I'm not kidding. If you can't fix whatever the hell is going on in half an hour than maybe, Bells, it shouldn't be messed with."

"You look upset."

"Mike and I had an argument. It's really not a big deal. Let's just go." I said as patiently as I could given the circumstances. I stared out the passenger window and pretended interest in the scenery going past as we headed out of Forks and into La Push. Almost as soon as we turned off the blacktop and onto the loosely graveled roads, I happened to look over, towards the cliffs that jutted out against the shoreline of the part of First Beach that's in La Push and I saw them up there. It looked like they were about to throw one guy over. I grimaced.

Who the hell wants to hang around with someone who will throw you off a cliff and into water, I wondered to myself as I stole a glance over at Bella.

Naturally, she was getting exactly what she wanted, so she wasn't sour looking at the moment. I just got this feeling of dread.. Because I just somehow know it.. Jacob's finally completely done with her, he has to be.. Because as devoted a slave as he's been to my older sister.. For him to start blowing her off and not even answer her calls or texts half the time? There's something up with it.

I thought back to seeing him with Sam Uley and the three other guys on the beach a few days ago. He looked like he had this weight on him. Like whatever he'd been afraid of when he originally confided in Bells and I had happened.

The truck slowly came to a stop at the bottom of Billy's driveway and I bit my lower lip, staring at Jacob intently as he moved around in the shed, hood raised on an old car he was apparently working on. I licked my lips. I just thought I was kinda breathless the other day. This was truly a closer look at an almost total transformation in my formerly adorable idiotic childhood best friend. He wasn't a boy anymore.. He was more manly now.

Maybe it was the haircut. Though I hated it, it wasn't Jacob.

Bella tore out of the truck be fore I could stop her and I grumbled and swearing aloud, I jumped out too, shouting at her "Get back here, damn it."

But it was too late. She'd gotten his attention.. Sort of. See, he was looking at her at first.. And then he saw me and he just sort of did that staring thing again. I felt my teeth graze my lower lip and I tugged at my hair again as I stomped my foot. What the hell did Bella seriously think having whatever it was she was apparently going to have was going to help make things any better?

It hit me then, like a ton of bricks and totally out of the blue. I'd missed Jacob. Like honest to God missed him. Even when he'd still been coming around and it was just me avoiding him, I'd missed him. I guess I just never realized it because I kept myself pretty busy otherwise.

"You guys need to leave."

"We're not leaving, Jacob. Not until you tell me why the hell you don't want to be my friend anymore." Bella snapped, the passive aggressive anger surfacing. I shuffled my feet and kept standing there. "Bella, just come on, damn it."

"Do what your sister says." Jacob gave her this strange warning look. He almost looked like he was put out, seeing her here and about to cry, begging him to be her friend again. I felt a little sorry for her.

Not enough to forget that she put herself in this position.

I stepped closer and then said quietly, "Let's go, Bells.. It's obvious we're not wanted around here." as I held Jacob's gaze firmly. For a moment there, something sort of changed in his eyes, they softened a little and he held my gaze right back. But it was gone and then he said quietly, "It's not like that. It's just.. You guys can't be here."

"Says who, Sam Uley?" I suddenly blurt out, mentally kicking myself when I remember that no, I hadn't told Bella that I had actually seen Jacob with all of them.

He gave me this look for a moment and then said "It's just not a good idea, okay?"

"Look, if you wanna join some weird cult, Jacob, that's not my business. But you could at least have the balls to admit it." I snapped. _'Okay, fireball, where the hell did that come from? What the hell happened to non partial third party solely here to make sure Bella doesn't get carted off to a rubber room with her own special 'hug me' jacket?'_ I wondered, a little shocked at myself.

He stared at me again and then said calmly, "You two should really go. Now. I have to go to Sam's. For a meeting." as he made his way past me, our skin brushed. His skin felt hot.. but not just hot.. Like he was running a thousand degree fever.

I gasped and pulled my arm away, looking at him. His arm brushing mine had literally burned almost. I shook my head and waving my hands I stepped back and said in an angry voice, "Fine, Jake.. Go play your little war games with Uley. We're done, Bells."

She gave me a wide eyed look and I snapped again, "Truck, Bells. Now." as I turned and stomped towards my older sister's truck. I guess my sudden tempermental outburst shocked her, I mean normally, for the most part, I could care less about things that go on around me and I really try not to get myself into bullshit and drama like this, but.. For some reason just knowing he was going to do the very thing that a few months ago supposedly terrified him, if his words on the subject to Bells and I were anything to go by.. Suddenly, I was more angry than anything and I didn't honestly care who knew it.

She started the truck and I saw Jacob disappearing into the forest. I bit my lower lip and then sighed, shook my head. "You have your answer now, Bella."

"We're coming back.. I'm going to give Sam a piece of my mind." Bella insisted. I turned slowly, looked at her and then said "Fine.. But next time? You're coming alone."

"What's eating you?"

"The crap you insist on dragging me into, Bella, for one thing.. For another, it caused Mike and I to fight.. And finally? If you can't see that this is Jacob maybe telling you he's done trying to make you see how toxic your crappy life choices are lately and he can't stand by and watch them then you really are too gone to be helped." I said, falling silent, crossing my arms over my chest.

As soon as her truck pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the arcade downtown and I got out, I tore into the building.. And that's when I saw Jessica and Mike kissing near one of the foosball tables. I stood there a moment, just looking. In my mind all I kept hearing was _'And again.. Bella wins again. You go to help her do a thing, fighting with Mike and did you not think he was going to eventually get sick of the way you're always rushing to help your sister? This is your fault, Ari.. You had to know it was coming sooner or later.'_

I turned and walked out. Gemma saw me, she was sitting in the diner and she ran out, caught up to me. "What's up?"

"Mike and Jessica are apparently a thing again. I mean I can't blame anybody but me.. But you'd think the damn jerk would at least try to hide it a little better.. I should've known it was coming."

"C'mon.. Let's go to First Beach. They just put up that carnival thing on the boardwalk." Gemma said as she looked at me in concern.

I nodded and said quietly, "It's been one hell of an exhausting afternoon."

"Yeah, how'd it go.. I mean you texted me that you had to go keep your sister from going to the nut house.. Did she find out why Jacob's not talking to her?"

"Yeah. And she's still saying that she's going to make him be her friend again.. I felt bad for her, watching the two of them argue.. But then I remembered that Bella got herself into this, I mean she cut everyone out but that douchebag Edward."

"And then he left."

"Mhmm.. But anyway, let's just go already. I'm not in the mood to stick around here, not after seeing Mike with his tongue down Jessica's throat."

We set off for First Beach and I made a decision.. I'm pretty much done with it. All of it. I'll do my thing, Bells can do hers.


End file.
